Marquee Team In Eastern Conference Linked To Gavrikov If He Hits UFA Market

Pending UFA Vladislav Gavrikov's return to the LA Kings is up in the air

The LA Kings' general manager change from Rob Blake to Ken Holland might have thrown a wrench into the team's plans to re-sign key unrestricted free agent Vladislav Gavrikov. It's no longer a sure thing, and with his name out there now, teams may be stepping into the void to try to land the top-four blueliner.

One marquee team that will be one of the busiest clubs this summer on the transactions page is said to be interested in Gavrikov, and that would be the New York Rangers.

According to Arthur Stape of The Athletic:

Keep an eye on Vladislav Gavrikov and the NY Rangers if (GM) Chris Drury can free up space.

The Rangers are projected to have just $8.4 million cap room, but they are consistently mentioned as a team to watch, as Staple says they are "looking to shake up their roster soon."

The process started during a chaotic 2024-25 season, when they dealt captain Jacob Trouba early in the campaign, then also sent off the likes of Reilly Smith, Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko in other deals.

Is Gavrikov a UFA target for the NY Rangers?

RFA K'Andre Miller is one of those on the block this summer as the team looks to free up cpa space, and if he goes, the Blueshirts will be looking for a strong replacement on the back end. Gavrikov is a different type of blueliner, much more reliable on the defensive end, though without the potential offensive upside of Miller.

Gavrikov finished this past season with 30 points in 82 games with a career high 140 blocked shots in a personal best 23:05 average time on ice per game. He's projected by AFP Analytics to pull in a five-year, $5.4 million contract on his next deal.

Insider Elliotte Friedman reported this past week that Gavrikov's status with the Kings is up in the air.